Jobcentre violence for under-equipped G4S security staff

The survey of PCS members working for G4S as security staff in jobcentres reveals severe levels of dangerous violence, aggression, shouting, racism, spitting, threats, slaps, punches, and weapons.

At the same time, staff report that their equipment frequently fails, that they are understaffed, additional support staff are untrained, and that their employer G4S seems to have no regard for their safety or wellbeing.

The survey, completed by over 300 staff, showed in the last 12 months that 81% had experienced dangerous incidents in their work, with 50% saying this had happened four or more times. Of all those, 19% had needed time off sick and 10% required medical attention. Despite, high levels of sickness absence, G4S offers minimal sick pay.

64% of those who experienced dangerous incidents said they could have been prevented with better safety equipment. However, G4S provides staff with personal mobile radios and body-worn cameras that fail on a daily basis. Many also report under-staffing by G4S, and where there is extra support these staff may be untrained and even without a uniform.

PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote says:

“Who cannot be shocked at how the highly profitable outsourcing company G4S is exploiting its staff in jobcentres? They work hard to guarantee the safety of staff and service users, all the while with broken equipment and without back-up when it’s needed.

“Our members deserve proper sick pay too, as well as G4S to pay basic attention to health and safety – a legal obligation they seem to forget. And all the while, this government seems to have forgotten its pledge to end outsourcing in public services. It is expensive, inefficient and - as demonstrated by the plight of PCS members working on the DWP G4S contract - a public scandal.”

Over 640 PCS members working for G4S in jobcentres are currently balloting to strike, with results expected on Friday 28 February. PCS have already raised this dispute through its parliamentary group and will continue to campaign for a political resolution as well as responding industrially.

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